Practice typewriter



June 13, 1944. A. EMANUEL PRACTICE TYPEWRITER Filed Jan. 27,' 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l GQQOOQQOOOOGGQJ I INVEN TOR.

i/V [Mi/YVZZ June 13, 1944. EMANUEL 2,351,324

- PRACTICE TYPEWRITER I/[DQ072922 'IIIIIA ya W 64,4

Patented June 13, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRACTICE TYPEWRITER Amy Emanuel, Asheville, N. 0. Application January 27, 1943, 'Serial No. 473,709

3 Claims;

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in practice typewriters, and has for its principal object the provision of a novel practice instrument which affords the student many of the benefits of practice on an actual typewriter, and has the additional advantage of teaching the student greater accuracy than would be the case if the practice were done on the actual machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a practice machin of the character de- Fig. 8 is a broken vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

.Fig. 9 is a broken transverse vertical section taken through another form of spring supporting means.

Fig. 10 is a broken section taken through a modified form of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a bottom lan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 10..

The practice machine of the present invention i preferably, though not necessarily, contained within a housing comprising a main body portion I 0 and a hinged cover portion H. In virtually all typewriters, the several rows of keys are on descending planes in the direction of the operator,

' and in order to conform to this arrangement the end walls [3 of the main body section, which supports and houses the mechanism, are of decreasing depth in the direction of the operator. The lower section i0 is provided with an inclined upper wall I4 which may be formed from a flat tion, is accordingly readily carried around by the are so arranged as to be readily replaced when they become broken or worn through use.

The present invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to a typewriter only, although it will be appreciated that the principles are equally applicable to other writing machines, such as shorthand machines and calculating machines.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the housing being broken away to show the interior arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the main body portion of the device.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with the upper wall removed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a broken vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4-.

Fig. 6 is a broken section taken through a modified form of spring supporting means.

Fig. '7 is a broken plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6.

sheet of wood or other suitable material, and may be suitably supported on the interior of thelower section to permit its forward edge l5 to be plane with the upper edge of the front wall It of the section, and its rearward edge I! to be plane with the upper edge of the rear wall I8 thereof. This upper wall is preferably made removable from the lower section H) of the housing.

The depressible keys are shown as comprising shanks 21 which are journalled for vertical, longitudinal movement in apertures 22 formed in upper wall I4, head 23 suitably secured to the upper terminals of shanks 2|, and headed pins 24 at the lower end of the shanks which prevent removal of the keys from their supporting apertures. The arrangement of the keys may correspond generally to any standard keyboard arrangement, and in the instance shown four rows of keys are illustrated. Although the upper Wall [4 is downwardly inclined, the upper surface is preferably formed with a plurality of spaced, longitudinal, substantially horizontal surfaces 25, one for each row of keys, and one at the lower or front end of the wall for an elongated simulated spacer bar 26 which is similarly supported by a plurality of shanks 2|.

The following means are provided for maintaining the keys in elevated position and'ior instantaneously returning them to such position after they have been manually depressed and then released. An internal block '39 is seated on lower wall 3| of the body section ill, the upper surface of the block being formed in a stepped arrangement providing a supporting surface 32 for each row of flat spring elements 23, which are supported at one end thereof in a recess 34 with a snug fit. The forward edge of each surface 32 may be bevelled, as shown at 35, to permit flexing of the spring, as shown in the intermediate row in Fig. 4. These spring elements are desirably made from-flat strips of wood, al-

end of each element to be engaged on its upper surface by the lower headed portion 24 of the key, as shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show an alternative mounting the flat springs. In this instance: each row may include a strip 40 having a flat upper surface M for the spring 42, the inner terminral of which is received in a square, milled slot .43, and the several slots are closed by a continuous strip 44 extending the run length Of the housing. In this instance, also, the spring- 42 may be secured in the supporting aperturesby a force or friction fit, from which apertures they may method of 10 g be quickly removed when they become broken.

WhatIclaim is:

1. A practice typewriter or the like formed of wood or similar inexpensive material and comprising a housing including an upper wall having'a plurality of rows of spaced apertures therein, a plurality of simulated depressible keys including head portions, shank portions journalled within such apertures for vertical movement, and foot portions, said head and foot portions being of greater diameter than that of the shank portions, thus limiting downward and upward movement, respectively, of said depressible keys, each adjacent row of keys being of increased height to simulate a typewriter keyboard, means for normally retaining the keys in elevated position and for returning such keys to elevated position after they have been manually depressed and released, such means comprising a flat spring formed of wood for each key, one end of such spring yieldingly engaging the lower terminal of the key, and means for rigidly supporting the opposite end comprising a block formed with rows of recesses for receiving such opposite terminals of the spring, the block further being formed By virtue of the arrangement shown in Figs.

1 to 9, inclusive, it will be seen that When upper wall M of the lower housing section Hlis removed, all of the flat spring elements are visible and readily accessible for-installation or repair. This is a considerable advantage,- since any repairs may be effected by the student'without the necessity of taking the apparatus to a repair shop.

In the modified arrangement shown in Figs. 10

and 11, the block 60 is carried by upper wall BI. 40

In this case, thelower surface of the block is formed with a ridged portion '62 for the flat springs 63, and a milled slot 59 maybe used, a

strip 64 closing the slots; Aligned apertures 65 and 66 pass through upper wall 6| and block 60 5 with supporting surfaces for a portion of the length of each spring. 2. A practice typewriter or the like comprising a housing including a removable upper wall having a plurality of rows of spaced apertures therein, a plurality of simulated depressible keys including head portions, andshank portions journalled within such apertures for vertical. movement, each adjacent row of keys being of increased height to simulate a typewriter keyboard, means for normally retaining the keys in elevated position and for returning such keys to elevated position after they have been manually depressed and released, such means comprising a flat wooden spring for each key, one end of such spring yieldingly engaging the lower terminal of the key, and means for rigidly supporting the opposite end comprising a block formed with rows of apertures for receiving such opposite terminals of the spring, said springs being readily removable from saidapertures to permit replacement when the same .become worn.

3. A practice typewriter or the like formed entirely of wood and comprising a housing formed with an'inclinecl upper wall which is rehead 10 at the uppe end he shank. In 89 movablefrom the housing, and having a plurality instances, this pin arrangement may also be em'- ployed to limit downward movement of the shank. In this arrangement, when it is desired to inspect or repair the spring means,'the entire upper wall 6|, together with block 60,- may be withdrawn from the'lower housing section-1H1. In

some instances it may be desirable toeliminate the lower wall 3| of the housing, particularly in cases wherein the embodiment'of the invention I is not designed for portability.

In Fig. 2, no specific characters the upper surfaces of the keys-for-the reason that the particular selection of? characters is a matter of choice. The arrangement of keys may,

however, conform generally to a standard typeare shown on of rows of spaced apertures therein, a plurality of depressible keys, each comprising a headed shank positioned in an aperture and being journalled therein for longitudinal movement, means for limiting the upward movement of said keys, and resilient means for normally retaining such keys in an elevated position and for returning the keys to such elevated position after they have been manually depressed and' then released, such means comprising a plurality of flexible, flat spring elements, means for supporting such elements at their inner terminals in fixed position, the opposite terminals being free and engaging the lower terminals of the shanks, such, supporting means comprising a block-having'a plurality of recesses therein for receiving such inne rterminals, and an elongated strip closing such -recesses. and forming apertures for supporting such terminals withafriction fit. i r i Y 

